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BLAIR ATHOLL
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dhubthaigh
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Intrigued by the Tindalls, the following information will allow us to understand their presence in Blair Atholl;

Kenneth Bassett Tindall was born about 1880, and was educated at Winchester College, which is one of the most highly regarded schools in England, for boys aged from 12 to 18. He then went on to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He decided to go into teaching and taught for a long time as an Assistant Master, at Sherborne School, also for boys aged 12-18, where the Headmaster was Nowell C. Smith. In 1913 he was appointed as a House Master, which he and his wife Theodora ran very successfully.

He was a very good actor, and producer of plays, and even as a very young man he had written a few plays and sketches, for acting at his Christmas house-parties.

But in 1919 a close friend of Nowell Smith’s, Lionel Helbert died. Helbert had founded in 1897 a school, West Downs, just outside Winchester for boys aged 8 to 13. The school was extremely successful, and was generally regarded as among the best such schools in the country. There was a succession of potential headmasters within the school staff, the most senior of whom, Kirby, took on the post for a short time, before dying of a condition for which, as a Christian Scientist, he was not permitted to seek a remedy. The second, Brymer, had just inherited a large estate in Dorset, and felt strongly that he should take his duties as squire very seriously: he was prepared to take post as headmaster until a successor could be found, and then to stay a few terms to guide the newcomer into the ways of the school.

Nowell Smith saw at once that Kenneth and Theodora Tindall, though they would be a great loss to Sherborne, would be ideal for West Downs. Lady Goodrich, Helbert’s sister and the actual owner of the school, was very enthusiastic. In fact Tindall was already well known at West Downs, as he possessed a magnificent magic lantern, and came on occasions to present slide shows, such as Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues under the Sea”.

In September 1920 the Tindalls took over the school, the finance having been arranged enabling them to buy it. They remained for 35 years before retiring, and handing over the school to J.F. Cornes, a winner of the silver medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. During the Tindall’s tenure the school flourished and produced many distinguished old boys and girls. It was not co-educational, but it was able to educate the daughters of staff, including the Tindall’s own daughter, Ann. Acting flourished, and each year there was a production of a full-length open-air Shakespeare play. Tindall also wrote nine plays for acting by staff, performed one a year in rotation. Some of these were based on his early Christmas house-party sketches and plays.

But in 1939 it was decided that the school should be evacuated to Scotland. This was partly on the advice that if the Germans should invade, the major battles would be around Winchester, and partly because the military wanted to use the school as a barracks. After a short period at Glenapp Castle on the Ayrshire coast there was a move to Blair Castle, the magificent home of the Dukes of Atholl.

With no petrol available the Tindalls used to spend their holidays walking locally in place of the European walking tours they had undertaken before the war. During this period of his life Tindall wrote his “Life of Jesus”, which he used to read aloud to the boys at the morning chapel service. The great merit of that work is that it takes every part of the Gospel stories, and fuses them together in a way that makes very good sense. It had a profound influence that has lasted to this day on every boy that listened to the readings.
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dhubthaigh
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PERTHSHIRE ADVERTISER: 21.05.1924

UNVEILING OF BLAIR ATHOLL WAR MEMORIAL
A STRIKING REMEMBRANCE FOR THE HIGHLANDS’ GLORIOUS DEAD

THE DUKE’S TRIBUTE

REV. A. A. STRATHEARN ON PATRIOTISM


Blair Atholl on Sunday followed the lead set by nearly every parish in Perthshire when the Great War Memorial was unveiled by the Laird, His Grace the Duke of Atholl, K.T., who was accompanied by the Duchess of Atholl, M.P. A large and representative assembly attended the solemn ceremony which took place in glorious sunshine. It was indeed a picturesque scene, everything calm and peaceful and beautiful to look upon.

The memorial, which stands in a piece of ground formerly within the policies of Blair Castle, on a prominent site next to the main North Road, opposite the Atholl Arms Hotel, takes the form of a massive monolith of natural rock which was hewn from Craigy Barns Hill, on the Atholl Estates near Dunkeld, by the Duke of Atholl himself, and has been erected in its simple natural state. It is set in heather, and the surrounding space - in the form of a half eclipse - has been paved in stone, while in the north boundary wall have been placed two bronze tablets which bear the names of the 47 men from the parish who made the supreme sacrifice. The monolith itself bears simply the specific dates “1914-1918”.

The names inscribed include that of the Duke of Atholl’s brother, Major Lord George Stewart Murray, and twenty other rank and file of the Black Watch, the historic Territorial Regiment.

Shortly after the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Atholl, the Atholl pipers marched along the main road with a martial air, and the service was inaugurated with the singing of the 2nd Paraphrase, followed by the Lords Prayer to the lead of the Rev. Donald Lamont, Parish Church.

In the course of a short narrative Mr D. D. MacDonald, convenor, of the committee, said that shortly after the declaration of peace it was decided that some form of memorial should be erected in memory of the parish heroes who gave their lives for their country. He had the honour of being appointed the convenor of the committee appointed to carry out the arrangements. There were three points which required their attention, and these created considerable difficulty. The first was the form which the memorial should take, the site, and the question of finance. The first two difficulties were very well and happily got over through the kind assistance of His Grace the Duke of Atholl, who provided them with a splendid site, and sketched out a plan which he thought they would agree had been a happy inspiration in carrying out the idea intended. In regard to finance they depended upon the people of the parish and also on the men and women of Atholl who had gone from every part of the country. They had very solid assistance from home and abroad and their difficulties were solved in that way to the extent that he was happy to say the memorial would be unveiled by His Grace free of debt.

The Duke of Atholl then unveiled the twenty-ton boulder with these words:- “I unveil this memorial to the glory of God and to the memory of those who fell in the cause of honour, liberty and humanity.
The prayer of Dedication was offered by the Rev. Mr Lamont, after which His Grace the Duke of Atholl, in the course of a short address said:- “I have been asked to unveil this memorial to the memory of the men of the parish of Blair Atholl who fell in the Great War. It is unnecessary to name them, for their names are not forgotten in the place of their birth. It is also unnecessary to recapitulate their services, for the fact we are here today, free men in a free country, is sufficient testimony to all that their sacrifice meant.
Some may think that we have been long in erecting this memorial, but the time that has elapsed since the end of the war has given us a better perspective of what it is we want to remember and of what it is we want to forget. It is not was and bloodshed and hate, with all their monstrosities, that we want to think of when we look at this memorial, but that rather great altruistic spirit of sacrifice, loyalty, and mutual co-operation in an great cause for great ends, that were shown not only by those whose names appear on the tablets, but by the national in general, at that time.
In a Highland parish all are known to each other, all are friends, and the loss of one is the loss of all. The grip given to me, just before leaving for the front, by one who well knew what he had to face, and the words ‘Goodbye, I am Infantry and I shall not come back’. Perhaps as cavalry you may. But it is a big thing, and I do not grudge it, were but emblematic of the spirit which imbued not only one but every lad from this part of the world, whether he returned or not to his native land.
Those who selected this form of memorial stone considered that the best handicraft of man could not be as adequate a one as this great, simple stone, though it is a small mite of the work of the Creator, and they felt that it would stand here for generations to come as a token of steadfastness in time of adversity, and would be in harmony with the surrounding hills and with the characters and traditions of the people who dwelt among them.
We felt that beyond the dates no graven word was necessary: but had we chosen a motto I think it might well have been:-

‘Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie
Glad did I live, and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me -
Here he lies where he longed to be
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill’.

What was mortal of your old comrades may rest on foreign soil, but round this stone will be something spiritual, more everlasting and more glorious, and which will remain an inspiration and a guide to those who come after. It is not for us to mourn and to grudge, but rather to be proud, and thankful to God that when the call came, they were found ready”.
The Atholl slow march was played as a lament by the pipers of the Atholl Highlanders, under Pipe-Major Alex. Stewart.
The ex-servicemen paraded at the scene under Lord James Stewart Murray; Scottish Horsemen under Sergeant-Major M’Arthur; and there were companies of Boy Scouts and school pupils.
Several beautiful wreaths were placed at the base of the memorial by relatives of the fallen, and the singing of the National Anthem terminated a most impressive service.
The names of the men inscribed on either side of the memorial are:-

MAJOR LORD GEORGE STEWART MURRAY, BLACK WATCH; SECOND LIEUTENANTS ALEX. FRASER AND ROBERT BARBOUR WHYTE; SERGEANTS (1) WILLIAM ROBERTSON AND (2) WILLIAM ROBERTSON; CORPORAL NORMAN NICOLSON, PRIVATES WM. ROSS, ALEX. BISSETT, WM. BLAIR, ANDREW CAMPBELL, WM. GORDON, JAS. GOW, CHAS. GRAY, GEO. HOGG, NORMAN M’DONALD, ROBERT M’DOUGALL, JAS. M’GREGOR, WM. M’KENZIE, DONALD M’LEAN, GEO. REID, AND DUNCAN ROBERTSON, BLACK WATCH; SERGEANT JOHN SEATON AND TROOPER ALEX. THOMSON, SCOTTISH HORSE; TROOPER ALISTER RITCHIE, THE GREYS; MAJOR REGINALD GORDON, D.S.O., SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN M. LAMB, AND GUNNER JOHN ROBERTSON, R.F.A.; LIEUTENANT ROBERT MAULE AND PRIVATE ALEX. ROBERTSON, R. SCOTS; PRIVATE ALEX. REID, R. WARWICK REGIMENT; PRIVATE HECTOR CUMMING, K.O.S.B.; LIEUTENANT WILLIAM ROSE AND PRIVATE JOHN BAIRD, H.L.I.; CAPT. GEO. T. MORRISON, M.C., SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN CHRISTIE, PRIVATE DONALD GOW, AND PRIVATE MALCOLM M’NAUGHTON, SEAFORTHS; PRIVATE PETER M’INTOSH AND PRIVATE ALEX. RENWICK, GORDONS; CORPORAL CHAS. JAMES CAMPBELL, C.Q.M.S. ROBERT ROSS, AND PRIVATE CHARLES REID, CAMERONS; PRIVATE ALEX. D. STEWART, R.D. FUSILIERS; GUNNERS JOHN M’DOUGALL AND JAS. ROBERTSON, M.G.C.; LIEUTENANT DONALD CAMPBELL, R.A.M.C.; PRIVATE JOHN M’KAY, CANADIAN SC.

The memorial was erected by Mr Robert Robertson, Aldclune, whose son, Sergeant Robertson, was one of the forty-seven victims, while the Clerk of Works was Mr Shirran.
After the unveiling service a united service was held in the Parish Church where there was a crowded congregation. An address on true patriotism was given by the Rev. A. A. Strathearn, the lesson being read by the Rev. D. Lamont. A special collection was taken on behalf of the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops for ex-servicemen.


Last edited by dhubthaigh on Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dhubthaigh
Our first ever 1000-poster


Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The memorial was erected by Mr Robert Robertson, Aldclune, whose son, Sergeant Robertson, was one of the forty-seven victims"

Name: ROBERTSON
Initials: W(illiam)
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 6th Bn.
Date of Death: 30/07/1916
Service No: 1422
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. G. 5.
Cemetery: CATERPILLAR VALLEY CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL

THE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL: 12.08.1916
KILLIECRANKIE N.C.O. FALLS


Sergeant William Robertson (1422), Black Watch, killed in action on 30th July, was aged 27, and was a son of Mr and Mrs Robert Robertson, Larchwood, Aldclune, by Killiecrankie. He had been wounded in the leg, and was being assisted back by one of his companions when he was hit a second time, and died instantaneously. Major Milligan says:- He was one of our most efficient N.C.O.'s, and loved by all.

THE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL: 16.09.1916
KILLIECRANKIE -
THE LATE SERGEANT ROBERTSON

A chum pays the following tribute to the late Sergeant Wm. Robertson, Black Watch:- "For fifteen months we were together, often in hot corners, and I can honestly say he was the best soldier of my acquaintance, and I have met a few. Unselfish, honest, and absolutely to be depended upon, he died as he lived, trying to help others. His death has brought home to me the utter futility and foolishness of war as a means of settling national quarrels".
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Aquaticaquarian



Joined: 17 Jul 2014
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:33 pm    Post subject: Private D Gow Reply with quote

Up behind Blair Atholl castle is a church ruin and graveyard and in there I came across this headstone for Private D. Gow Seaforth Highlanders
[img][/img]
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7749
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GOW, D.
Rank:Private
Service No:S/2377
Date of Death:03/02/1916
Regiment/Service:Seaforth Highlanders
Grave Reference:Near North-East of ruin.
Cemetery:BLAIR ATHOLL (ST. BRIDE) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:

Surname GOW
Forename Donald
Rank Pte
Service number S/2377
Decoration
Place of birth Perth
Date of death 3 February 1916
Theatre of death Home
Cause of death Died
SNWM roll THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
Other detail 3rd (Res). Bn.
_________________
Ken
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